Undercover
by Doctor-Thirteen
Summary: Shawn and Juliet go undercover while working on a Human Trafficking case. Set after 'An Evening With Mr. Yang'. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Shawn Spencer had arrived to the police station much earlier than usual that morning. Well, if you could call 10AM early…  
>For some reason unknown, his best friend Gus chose not to accompany him to it. That annoying thing he called his 'real' job always came up between them. Shawn couldn't understand the concept of working in the same place for more than a year, doing something as boring as bringing people coffee, sorting files or answering the office phone Maybe that's why he never kept a job for too long. Except his current one, of course. Pretending to be a psychic and working with the police was always exciting, and he has been at it for three years now, along with Gus. Well, most of the time.<br>So, he was pleasantly surprised to get a call from the chief, calling him in for something rather important. Shawn could only guess what it was. Maybe a wild animal was on loose in the city, or it was a bank robbery, or - his personal favorite - murder. Possibly the combination of all three?  
>Whatever it was, it seemed to be rather special, as chief Vick urged him to come as soon as possible. None of the police officers in the stations were paying more attention to him than usual, which meant they probably weren't in on the case. A solo assignment.<br>He grinned and rubbed his hands together, pondering once again what it could be.

So he was surprised to find that chief Vick wasn't alone in her office. The department's Head and Junior detectives were also inside.  
>Juliet O'Hara, the junior detective, sat in the chair across from the chief herself, her pretty blond head slightly tilted as she listened to her.<br>Carlton Lassiter, the head detective, chose not to sit. He stood, leaning against the wall, slight agitation showing on his face. Whatever the chief was telling them, he wasn't happy about it.

Shawn smiled. The presence of the junior detective was always a pleasant thing, though he wished he could say the same about the head detective. The latter has obviously noticed him looking trough the office window, as he rolled his eyes in annoyance and opened the door. "Well don't just stand there, Spencer, we've been waiting for you to show up for an hour now."

"I am so sorry to have kept you waiting but… Hi Jules… the spirits have told me that I will need rest for this one. Yet, they hadn't told me what this all was about." Curiosity showed on his face as he sat down on the unoccupied chair next to Juliet's, who greeted him with one of her warm smiles before turning back to chief Vick again.

"Mr. Spencer, I am glad you could make it." The chief began. Lassiter snorted in disagreement, but Shawn took no notice of it. "What we are dealing here is unlike anything you have seen before."

Shawn and Juliet both perked up, and Lassiter groaned silently. The chief has told him he wouldn't be on the case, but she did tell him she'd need his partner, detective O'Hara, for it. Of course, they all had to wait for Shawn to arrive until the chief could finally say what it was. Lassiter was instructed to close the blinds as soon as Shawn came in, which he did. They needed shelter from curious eyes.

"It's a human trafficking case, and I am going to need you to work the best you can on it." The chief explained.

Shawn and Juliet shared an excited glance, and Juliet's eyes wandered off to Lassiter again. She felt awful, working on a case he wasn't allowed to work on for some unknown reason. She felt like she was ditching him.

"It is suspected that a wealthy couple right here in Santa Barbara owns a large house which is used as a shelter for the victims of human trafficking. The exact number of people they are holding captured in it is unknown, though we know that there are more than thirty for sure."

Shawn looked at her questioningly. "And where do I and my psychic powers come in? Do you need me to find their exact location, estimate the exact number…" He trailed off.

The chief gave him a half-hearted smile. "No. Not exactly. I have chosen you and detective O'Hara to work on it based on your performances while going undercover."

"Now wait a minute, why can't I work on it as well?" Lassiter's annoyance seemed to have reached a very high level, as he dared interrupt the chief. He still didn't understand why a psychic would be more qualified than him to work on one of the biggest busts in the last decade.

"I have taken you into consideration, detective Carlton." The chief answered simply, though Shawn noticed she was trying hard not to bark at him and put him back in his place. "I simply believe Mr. Spencer has more experience going undercover than you do, and I apologize if I've mislead you. Now, I would like you to please exit my office and start working on reports of cases from the last week."

Lassiter bit his tongue, trying hard not to talk back, but deep down he knew it was true. Undercover wasn't his thing, anyway. He preferred stakeouts. "Yes, ma'm." He answered as he headed towards the door. A few moments later, the door behind him closed, and the three people were left alone.

"Now, an old friend of mine who happens to own a house right across the street from theirs has volunteered to 'lend' it to us for this investigation. He's taking a 6-months-long vacation in France with his new fiancée." Said the chief.

Shawn whistled, envying the man the chief spoke of. Big house and a new fiancée every 4 months seemed like the perfect life. He did, however, stop when he noticed Juliet looking at him sternly. She wanted to hear the end of it, but Chief Vick wouldn't go on until she had Shawn's attention. It was like being back in school.

"I want you two to temporarily move in as a married couple. You will report your findings every week, and keep away from your loved ones, as this could turn dangerous. You will both be paid twice more than what you usually get if everything goes as planned. Do you understand?"

Shawn and Juliet exchanged shocked glances and then looked back at the chief. They both looked as if they were going to start protesting every second now, much like little children. So, the chief leaned in and looked them dead in the eye..

"This is the biggest case our department had the honor of working on in the last couple of years, so I expect you not to mess up. If these people figure out who you are, the whole operation is a bust. And failure is **not** an option."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Night full of Shules-y dreams, a fireplace, and a cup of warm vanilla pudding. If there ever were more desirable writing conditions, I'm not aware of them.  
>I'm sorry for the delay. I had quite a nasty fall from my roller blades and injured my right arm (Oi, I need that one for writing). Thankfully, nothing was broken, and I'm (almost) as good as new!<br>Enjoy.**_

"Wow, I never thought I'd get married." Shawn was the first to break the silence in the limo the chief insisted they take. He was dressed in his Sunday best and felt incredibly stupid. Whatever they called these suits, they itched.

"What, at this age?" Juliet's head snapped in his direction as she separated her face from the window glass. She was glad he started a conversation, as the silence in the car was becoming quite awkward.

"_Ever_." He answered, shifting in his seat. It was an uncomfortable seat even though it was an expensive car. Either that, or Shawn just couldn't find the right position. Nothing could bring down the level of awkwardness between him and Juliet right now. Married? For the second time? Was the universe sending him a message or just playing a cruel trick on him since it knew he was dating Abigail. He wondered how this would affect their relationship, and Juliet saw right trough him.

"Look, Shawn, this is a rich neighborhood. Most of the couples here are just snobby, estranged and cold. We don't even have to hold hands to fit into this neighborhood." Juliet assured him, shifting as well. It looked like she, too, had troubles finding a comfortable position.

"I'm not _all_ against hand-holding." Shawn protested playfully, and Juliet smiled but didn't respond. She didn't see this as anything other than playfulness now that he had a girlfriend. Before it all happened, he used to make comments like these, and she used to look at them in another way, but… Everything was different now.

He turned to her with a smirk, and Juliet knew he just thought of something. "What is it, Shawn? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was thinking, if we are to fit into the higher class, maybe I should try bringing out my British accent. I can do a mean impression of James Bond. No, really."

"Shawn, I don't think that will be neces—"

"Spencer, Shawn Spencer." He quickly cut her off, doing the impression rather well.

Juliet couldn't help but laugh and clap slightly. She stole a quick glance into the neighborhood yards. Just women in dresses and way too much jewels on them moaning and complaining to their bad-tempered husbands who were talking on no less than two phones at the same time, closing deals and what not. "See, Shawn?" Juliet beamed. "They're all fighting, arguing and…"

"Kissing shamelessly in public." Shawn muttered, obviously distracted by what he saw was going on from his window, and slid back into the seat. Juliet almost squashed him while trying to get a glimpse outside his window. Indeed, an elderly couple was doing just what Shawn described… And more. With a squeak, Juliet slid back into the seat next to Shawn and covered her eyes.

"That is so wrong on so many levels." Shawn managed to mutter as the car stopped. The driver walked outside and opened the door for them obediently.

Juliet was the first to pop out. She in her red evening dress Shawn had to admit looked pretty good on her. She flashed him a smile as he came out. "I could get used to this." She whispered, and the smile faded when she saw Shawn looking at her strangely. "Not being married, this… Just having someone open my door." Juliet muttered her explanation, dipping her head to the driver and nearing the house entrance.

"Sweet pineapple…" Shawn muttered, gazing up at the three-story house that rested in front of them, bathed in the disappearing sunlight. Juliet was speechless, her gaze flicking back and forth between the huge house and the even more beautiful yard.

"Ah, admiring the new house, are we?" A voice interrupted them, making them whip around. It was an older man who spoke. He looked like a businessman, unless he was wearing that suit around for fun, and a heavy smoker, as his yellow fingertips revealed. He looked friendly enough.

"You must be the new neighbor." Shawn said politely, offering his hand. "I'm Gordon Winters, and this is my lovely wife Victoria."

Juliet was grateful Shawn didn't pretend to be British as the man took her hand and kissed it.

"John Boneham, at your service." He smiled, looking at the setting sun trough his small rounded glasses. He got a tissue out of somewhere and wiped his nose. Shawn watched carefully, to see if he could copy that gesture later. "I'll be going off now. Hope you enjoy your new home. It is quite lovely. Me and my wife live in the house right next to yours, so I assume we'll be seeing more of you two. Until then!" He cheerfully bid them good bye and walked away.

Shawn and Juliet exchanged glances, making an unspoken agreement to get into the house as soon as possible and avoid any more encounters of this kind. The neighborhood would just have to wait until tomorrow to properly meet the mysterious new couple.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jules, Jules!"

Juliet got up from the red leather chair she was sitting on, closing a book she took from the house library. That's right, an actual library. It hasn't been an hour since they settled in, and they still hadn't looked trough all rooms. "What is it now, Shawn?" She let out a good-natured huff. For the past 45 minutes or so, Shawn would start randomly calling her name every single time he discovered something cool.

He obviously noticed the slight annoyance in her tone. "Look, I'm sorry, but…"

Juliet looked at him expectantly, raising her eyebrow.

"But have you _seen_ the size of that pool? Have you actually seen how big it is?" Shawn exclaimed in an excited voice, and, without waiting for her to reply, rushed away again.

Juliet rolled her eyes slightly as she sat back down again. Shawn was acting like a child in a candy shop. A really, really big candy shop. With a pool… Biting her lip, she got up again and followed his trail to the pool, where he was happily splashing his feet around. It was night, and it was way too late to take a swim.

"I knew you couldn't resist!" Shawn teased. Juliet had to admit he was right. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. Still, she somehow managed to stay clear-headed.

"Shawn, we are here to solve a potential case. Not splash around." She reminded him sharply, ignoring the urge to join his little game.

In response to that, Shawn took a handful of pool water and splashed her, laughing at her facial expression. "C'mon, Jules, that was fun…"

Juliet's jaw hung in the air as she looked down on her red dress. Splotches. And her hair was dripping wet. Juliet found herself wondering how he managed to scoop up that much water. That's all it was; only water, but still, she wouldn't let him get away with this. It was a matter of principle. "You better run." She warned him playfully as she came closer.

Shawn usually wouldn't take her seriously, but there was something in her eyes, a glint of mischief, that told him to hide. He quickly acted on it and withdrew his feet from the pool, standing up. "You can't outrun me in heels. Trust me. I tried them on once."

Juliet was used to his strange comments at this point of their friendship, so she just smiled at him. "You really wanna risk it?" When he didn't respond, Juliet shrugged. "You asked for it."

Before Shawn could even think of running away, she was by his side, her hands grasping his biceps. A light nudge was all it was needed to push him into the pool at that point. And a splash of pool water signaled Juliet gave him a bit more than a light nudge.

As Shawn resurfaced, spitting some water out, he looked up at her, squinting.  
>Juliet stared down at him, a victorious smile playing on her face.<p>

"That's why you never mess with a girl's hair, Shawn."

Shawn nodded, looking defeated. "Fair enough. Though I do like that dress you're wearing."

And before Juliet could manage to blush, she found herself pulled into the water from the pool edge.

"That was just unfair." Juliet mumbled, fighting to keep her dress from floating on the surface and revealing anything. Her nose was slightly wrinkled, as it always was when she got a bit mad, and Shawn couldn't help but smile.

"Truce?" He offered, climbing out.

Juliet crossed her arms, looking away.

Shawn shrugged. "Fine, stay there." He began walking back towards the house, but slowly, to see if Juliet would swallow her pride and ask for help. Getting out of that pool in that dress and those heels was going to be an impossible task. _3… 2… 2 and a half… 1… Wait for it… wait for it…_

"Shawn!" He heard her call out to him, and was back by the pool in no-time. He offered her a hand, and she gladly took it, huffing at him slightly. He used both of his hands to grasp one of hers, as it was wet and slippery. And so was the pool edge, as Juliet would quickly learn. She stumbled slightly, but Shawn was there to catch her and help her straighten herself up again. After another awkward moment of silence, he felt the cold wind blow and took Juliet's hand. "Come on, let's get inside or we'll be more likely to catch a cold than the bad guys."

Juliet nodded in agreement, and the two hurried back to the living room where they knew a fireplace stood. As Juliet fought to get every last drop of water out of her hair, Shawn lit the fire. He was, of course, too impatient and too cold to light it on properly, so he threw some wood and newspaper in, and set it on with a lighter he carried in his pocket, despite being a non-smoker.

As soon as both he and Juliet were out of their wet clothes and in the bathrobes they found, Shawn went on a quest of finding a blanket. Surprisingly, he could find only one, though he had to admit to himself he didn't put much effort into looking.

Juliet sat by the fire, staring at it, lost in her thoughts. Shawn gave her a light tap on the shoulder and covered her with the blanket. She smiled up at him, grateful, but the smile faded soon enough. "Where's yours?"

"Only found one." He admitted, shrugging. "I don't need it, anyway."

Juliet frowned slightly, glancing back at the blanket. She concluded it was big enough for two, so she scooped closer and made sure it covered both of them. They were both smiling, sitting in silence, but it all felt wrong. He wasn't hers, and Juliet knew it. He had a girlfriend – a fact Juliet became aware of the one time she actually had the guts to tell him how she felt about him. And with those thoughts running trough her head, she dozed off, unknowingly laying her head on his shoulder. And Shawn didn't have the heart to wake her. She looked so peaceful and so beautiful. Even with her hair a mess, some water still dripping from it. His lips brushed her forehead as he gave her a sort of a good-night kiss, knowing he shouldn't have the minute he did it. And his heart couldn't help but flutter a bit as he saw her smiling in her sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Juliet awoke abruptly the next morning when she heard a loud thump. She quickly got up to her feet and felt her head with her hand, trying to remember what she was doing curled up in front of a fireplace like a cat, instead of sleeping in an actual bed or on the couch. Then it all struck her, and she quickly whipped around. "Shawn?" She called.

"I'm here!"

Juliet was relieved to hear his voice. She folded the blanket and put it away, then walked out of the living room and into a big hallway. "Are you okay? What was that noise?"

"Oh, that was just… Ummm… A book fell down, that's all." Shawn explained from inside the library that was 4 doors away from where Juliet stood.

Following his voice, she walked in to find the entire bookshelf on the floor covered with heavy books. Her attention snapped back to Shawn who stood in the middle of the entire mess, and she crossed her arms. Her eyebrow was raised in an inquiring manner.

"I took one book out, I swear, and the entire thing just collapsed." He explained himself, stepping away from the mess.

The puzzled look didn't leave Juliet's face. "You wanted to read?"

"Not really, no. It's just that in these big houses you usually have those cool hidden passages that open up when you move a random object." He shrugged, then inspected her. She was still in that bathrobe from the last night. "You better dress up real nice."

"Why?" Juliet asked. Of course, she would dress up eventually, but why did she need to look extra good?

"Because the neighbors are throwing us a welcoming party." Shawn said excitedly as the two made their way out of the library and into the back yard where the pool stood.

"How do you know?" Juliet was curious. "Did someone notify you?"

"Not really, no." Shawn said as he mounted the big wall that separated 'their' house from the rest. Well, at least he tried to mount it.

"Then how do you kno—Shawn, what are you doing?" She stepped closer to the wall, her curiosity slowly growing into impatience. Shawn helped her up.

"Well, unless there's another pair of new neighbors, I think that big sign over there is for us." He said as he pointed to it. Indeed, their neighbor's yard was full of elegant chairs, tables, some food, and a big welcoming sign that swayed in the wind above all other things.

"Wow. Didn't think they'd be this friendly." Juliet admitted, watching everything with interest.

"What? No, Jules, don't be naïve." Shawn shook his head as Juliet shot him a questioning look. "They want to get to know us, who we are, what do we do…"

"And that's bad how?"

"They want gossip, Jules. Stories. They want to find our insecurities and then attack them like hungry beavers…"

"Beavers?" Juliet questioned quietly, raising an eyebrow at him. "Sounds like every neighborhood, Shawn."

"Yeah, with one difference. These people can actually destroy us. They got enough money and connections to bring the entire operation down, if they suspect anything."

Juliet nodded, admitting he had a good point. It looked like he was having one of his serious moments for once. "I'm glad you're taking this seriously."

Shawn jumped off the wall, cleaning the dust off of his hands by wiping them on his pants. "Who, me?" He flashed her a grin, then turned tails and headed towards the house.

"Shawn.. Shawn!" Juliet called. The chances of her getting down from the wall in bathrobe were slim to none. Once again, she was the victim of not dressing appropriately enough. He was gone. Juliet huffed. "Real mature, Shawn!" She called out to him as she attempted to jump down on her own. She partially succeeded too, except for the fact she skinned her knees a bit.

****

About half an hour later, Shawn heard a loud shriek. Juliet was calling his name. He jumped off the couch he was resting on and started looking for her, following her frantic voice. The house was like a big maze, and he was as confused as a lab rat is once you put it in one of those. Finally, he traced her voice to the bathroom and rushed inside without knocking.

"Jules?" He called, looking around. The bathroom itself was twice the size of Henry's living room, and his voice echoed loudly.

"Over here, in the shower." Came a muffled reply from Juliet.

Very carefully, Shawn approached the shower that was, thankfully, covered with curtains. "Jules?" He repeated.

"The shower door, Shawn. It won't slide open." Juliet told him, feeing the glass with her hands. It was steamy from the water, giving her extra protection from anyone's eyes.

Shawn shook his head, smiling slightly as he slid the door open without any trouble. Clouds of steam flew at him, making him cough slightly. It was like smoke, but damper.

"Don't look." Juliet's warning came as a growl. "Just hand me a towel."

Shawn stood there, back turned to her and looked around for a towel. Or anything that could cover her, really. Juliet had already began shaking slightly from the cold.

"There isn't one." He answered simply.

"What?" Juliet gasped, coughing slightly. "Give me your bathrobe, then. And don't turn around."

Shawn took the red bathrobe he insisted he wear over his clothes, only because he looked like one of those rich guys in the movies. Except he didn't have a cigarette and those cool glasses on him right now.

"Shawn!" Juliet's impatient voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry." He mumbled, throwing the bathrobe over his head like a bride throwing the bouquet to the crowd.

Juliet quickly caught it and wrapped it around herself. It was warm, and smelled of Shawn, though she didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. "Help me up, will you?"

Shawn obeyed, but instead of just helping her up, he actually scooped her up. It was like one of those romantic movies, though Shawn convinced himself he was only doing this to help a friend. "You didn't twist your ankle, did you?"

"God, I hope not." Juliet answered, laying her head on his chest as he carried her out. She was surprisingly light. "Wouldn't wanna miss the party." She commented with a weak smile, and Shawn returned it.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm really sorry for the delay, guys. Happy turkey day! :D**

"Julessss…" Shawn whined from the living room. He'd been waiting for her to get ready for the party their new 'neighbors' were throwing them for about 20 minutes now, and he wasn't the patient type. Not really.

"Coming! One second!" Juliet's voice was muffled, meaning she was a few doors down.

"That's what you said 10 minutes ago!" He called out in response.

"Just because we're pretending to be a married couple does not mean we necessarily have to bicker like one, Shawn!"

"This isn't pretending. We really_ are_ bickering!"

No response.

"Just come as fast as you can." He shouted softly, dealing with the fact he was just going to have to wait for a bit. He understood Henry a little bit better now. Women did take an awfully long time to get dressed. Now, his father always told him it's because they wanted to make sure they looked their best for the man they love, or something like that… Shawn never really listened to any of his father's advice, concerning women. Except the 'You treat a woman like a person, then a princess, then a goddess, and then like a person again' piece. He liked that one.

He was just about to get up and go check on her when he heard the sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor. He straightened up in his seat, wondering what dress could possibly take so long to put on. He just hoped it wasn't a hoop skirt, or something like that. With a smile, he remembered chief Vick telling her to take it off before she injures someone. As the clicking sound grew louder, he raised his head in interest, staring at the door.

Juliet appeared in a long and simple red dress, that left a lot to the imagination. It had a bit of a 'V' shaped cut-out on the thigh, but nothing too revealing. Her golden hair was tied neatly in a simple bun, and a pair of golden earrings swung from her ears, a matching golden medallion in shape of a heart resting on her neck. She wore matching red heels, but not the high sort. Looking rather content, Juliet twirled. "Do you think this is alright?"

Shawn simply stared at her, fighting hard to keep his jaw from dropping. He opened his mouth a couple of times, attempting to reply, but shut them every time. He just couldn't find the right words. Shawn had rarely had a chance to see Juliet wearing something else than her uniform, or her grey pantsuit. He just stared, savoring the moment.

Juliet, however, mistook that for him not liking what she decided to put on. Frowning slightly, she looked down at her heels. "I do suppose I could have put on a different pair. And this dress does feel a bit weird, but…" She raised her gaze again, only to see that Shawn has gotten up from his chair and was approaching her.

He took her hands in his, while Juliet stared at him in bewilderment. "Shawn.." She breathed out a question she couldn't finish.

"You look perfect." He whispered in a serious tone, giving her hands a light squeeze. A smile appeared on Juliet's face, and her cheeks were red. She looked positively flushed.

"Thanks, Shawn." Juliet whispered, staring back at him. It was one of those rare magical moments in life. Moments where the whole world feels like it's in slow motion. The moments most people thought only existed in movies. His face was so close to hers she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks, yet they didn't kiss. This wasn't a fairytale. This was real life. And obstacles existed.

Shawn was the first to pull away. "Yeah, you look okay-ish." He cleared his throat, effectively killing the moment as he offered her his arm. "Shall we?" He asked, in a voice that was, Juliet guessed, supposed to be mocking those old movies.

Still, she gladly wrapped her arms around his. "We shall." She found herself grinning, and he found himself grinning right back.

**BREAK BREAK BREAK**

About two hours later, Shawn found himself conversing with men twice his age, about business he knew nothing about. Still, improvising was what he was the best at, and it certainly seemed to be working right then. He could hear his phone ringing, so he had to stop the conversation for a couple of minutes. He politely excused himself and walked into a farther corner of the garden, answering it.

"Hello?" He said cheerily.

"_Shawn? Shawn! What is this crap I hear about you being married? Exactly how drunk were you? Where are you, even, Gus couldn't reach you all day yesterday!"_

Shawn immediately recognized the judging voice of his father, Henry.

"Calm down, dad. It's just this thing I'm working on. Just tell Gus…"

"_Now you listen to me, son, you do not go about just marrying women when you need some sort of an insight for an investigation. In my time…"_

Shawn rolled his eyes. And there he goes again. The endless lectures about how better it was back in the old days, when departments didn't have computers and cops could beat criminals senseless to teach them a lesson. Shawn was growing bored.

"H-Hey dad.. You seem to…. Breaking… be… up…Tunnel… coming… call… later." He faked going trough a tunnel by leaving out words and making hissing noises.

"_At least tell me who you got married to!"_ Henry yelled from the other side of the line.

"Juliet." Shawn answered simply, hanging up. He'd give anything to be able to see the look on his father's face right about now. Smiling slightly at the thought, Shawn heard his phone ringing again, and he was just about to hit 'reject' when he realized that it wasn't his father calling him this time. It was Abigail.

**BREAK BREAK BREAK**

Juliet was glancing about the garden, trying to find the familiar figure, but she seemed to have lost sight of it. Her search for Shawn was interrupted by a brunette in a golden dress walking over to her.

"Hey honey." The woman squeaked cheerily, not bothering to act fancy. Her accent strongly indicated she had Texas roots.

"Hello, Emma." Juliet greeted the woman she'd met half an hour before.

"I forgot to ask you how your marriage is doing. Everything okay? Is he giving you enough attention?" Emma questioned, not leaving Juliet any time to respond. Not really.

"My marriage is doing fine. Why ask?" Juliet was curios to why Emma was so interested in her and Shawn.

"Well… Not to spread any rumors or anythin'…" Emma lowered her voice. "But I heard him talk to some 'Abby' woman on the phone… And he called her 'sweetheart'."

"Oh." Juliet didn't have to fake being surprised this time. Emma caught her off guard, but she quickly found a solution. And Shawn was going to be scolded for his recklessness later. "Oh, Abigail. That's his sister." She smiled softly as she managed to spot Shawn returning to his little group after the phone call was over.

"Oh, his sister?" Emma echoed, backing away from Juliet, as whispering was no longer necessary. "Well, now I feel stupid… He must love her very, very much."

"That he does." Answered Juliet, whose eyes were on Shawn now. He noticed it, and waved cheerily to her. "That he does…" Juliet repeated, hoping the disappointment she felt didn't show in her voice.


	6. Chapter 6

"Worst party ever." Shawn muttered quietly to Juliet as they neared the house.

"Shawn!" Juliet scolded him, shaking her head. At least they threw them an actual party.

"I know you think I'm being ungrateful, but honestly, most parties I go to usually have more booze and funny accidents I can tape and later put on YouTube." He grinned as he held the door open for her.

Juliet shook her head, smiling slightly as she entered the big living room again. The fire in the fireplace was still going, and Juliet couldn't help but wonder how. The fire was supposed to burn out hours ago. And then she noticed it. Pieces of wood with letters carved in them, arranged to make words right on the floor by the fire.

"Shawn…" Juliet muttered under her breath, pulling his sleeve.

"I know." He whispered back. "Someone's been here before us." His gaze rested on the pieces of wood as they carefully approached the fireplace. "And left us a message.."

"The party was just a distraction…" Juliet murmured, then looked back at him. "Did you lock the doors?" She asked sternly, remembering how often Gus complained about Shawn never locking the Psych office.

"Are you serious?" He answered with a question, pouting and sounding insulted. "Do you really think I would leave this big pool, and that huge TV set, and that amazing collection of old movies they have in this house unprotected?"

"I was just asking." Juliet murmured quietly, crouching down and squinting, trying to read the message.

"_Welcome to the neighborhood_." Shawn was quicker.

Juliet looked up, raising an eyebrow at him. "Someone's on to us…"

"It hasn't even been three days yet." He huffed, sounding frustrated.

Juliet didn't respond. Instead, she walked out of the room, leaving Shawn to stare at the message. She came back soon enough with a camera, gloves, and evidence bags.

"Move." She ordered sternly.

Shawn gladly did so, finding himself thinking about just how hot she was when she got bossy. He gave himself a mental slap when he remembered Abigail. He had a girlfriend, damn it, and he loved her, and he…

Shawn was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Juliet staring at him. Those piercing blue eyes seemed to be staring right into his soul, and for a split second, Shawn found himself hoping there were no such things as mind-readers.

"What?" He asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Juliet held the bag up at him. "Put this away somewhere safe. I don't know the house as well as you. And go take a shower, you smell like old people and cigarettes." She added, and Shawn could swear he detected a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Grinning, he took the evidence bag and made an exit, leaving Juliet alone in the living room to investigate. After half an hour of searching the entire first floor, she was baffled by the lack of evidence of any intrusion at all. And then, Juliet did something she never thought she'd catch herself doing – looking for hidden rooms.  
>It was all a bit too Shawn-y, just wandering about trying to see if there are any secret exits, rooms or cells, but she knew she would have found it to be quite exciting had the circumstances been different.<p>

And when she came up with nothing, she decided to go and take a shower, hoping it would relax her a bit.

Soon enough, though, it proved to be rather the opposite. As soon as Juliet was got comfortable and tried to use the liquid soap, she noticed it didn't look or smell like soap at all. The bottle said 'strawberry' on it, but it smelled different. Somewhat familiar to her. The smell and the looks of it soon sparked her memory, though. Blood.  
>Juliet got out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in a warm towel, shaking in terror. It was blood. Real blood. About one liter of it. And she almost covered herself with it. She shut her eyes tightly. "Shawn!" She called, hoping the panic she felt didn't echo in her voice.<p>

Her voice echoed trough the hallway, and Shawn appeared on the doorstep rather quickly, giving her quite a fright.

"Did you just stand there for the past 15 minutes hoping to catch me naked?" She hissed.

"No. Not really. I have a girlfriend, you know."

"Yeah.." Juliet sighed heavily. "I need another evidence bag."

"For what?" He blinked at her.

"Someone left us a housewarming gift." She responded, her voice shaking a bit.

"Jules, are you okay?" Shawn asked gently, though he knew she wasn't.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Juliet managed a weak smile that faded within 3 seconds. "What are you standing there for? Go."

Shawn went off and returned again with another evidence bag. "I know this is a bad time to ask, but do you think I could put it in this time?" He grinned slightly, trying to make her light up a bit.

"Fine. Just take gloves." She answered, her teeth chattering from the cold this time. "I'll be upstairs, in the bedroom."

"Is that an invitation?" Shawn joked.

"Don't you dare turn this into a joke, Shawn." Juliet answered, though she felt a smile creep up on her as she went up.

He shrugged and bagged the shampoo bottle filled with blood of the innocent, then went upstairs into the bedroom and pushed the bag under the bed. Juliet was sitting on it in her pajamas and shaking her head. "That's where you're keeping it? Of all the safe places in the house, you're keeping it under the bed?"

"It's easier to remember this way." He huffed playfully, plopping onto the bed.

Juliet raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to sleep." He responded, sounding confused.

Juliet shook her head. "There's only one bed in this entire house. And I am not about to share it with you."

Shawn shrugged. "Me and Gus do it all the time." He tried not to laugh at Juliet's facial expression. "Don't take that the wrong way, though. That only happened once at a sleep over, and him and I are regretting it to this day."

Juliet giggled lightly. The stories of his and Gus's childhood were always fun to hear. "No, seriously, be a gentleman. Take the couch." She said, gesturing to it.

Shawn groaned and slid off the bed, reluctantly placing himself on the couch.

About an hour later, Juliet was awoken by the sound of his voice. "_Hey, Jules, can I have a pillow_?" She shook her head in his general direction and groaned grumpily.

And Shawn Spencer found himself bombarded by Victorian pillows and fuzzy blankets.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for keeping you guys in the dark for so long. I could blame it on how busy I was, but I'm just generally a very lazy person, hence all good fanfic ideas I usually come from my afternoon naps. And speaking of fanfic ideas, you should look forward to some Shules Christmas fluff from me, but I'm not revealing anything else. ;)**

Juliet rolled out of the bed the following morning, only to find Shawn wasn't there. Slight panic swept over her, but then she heard a sound of something breaking downstairs, and Shawn cursing. Yep, he was still there.

Groaning, she stretched and looked around the room for her pink flip flops. Once she found them, she put on the bathrobe, deciding to go downstairs and check what Shawn was doing up so early. Nothing smart, she was sure of that.

As Shawn heard the sound of the flip flops clapping against the stairs, his head shot up and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Jules!" He exclaimed happily, obviously attempting to hide whatever it was he broke.

"Morning." Juliet called, padding up to him just so she could look over his shoulder. "Shawn, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing. What makes you think I'm hiding something. Psh. Me. Hiding. What a silly id—ah, ah!" His explanation was interrupted by Juliet tugging on his ear, much like a mother would to her child. "The glass, the glass, it broke by itself, I swear!" He whined.

Juliet let go of him, and he stepped aside, rubbing his ears. "You are freakishly strong." He muttered.

Juliet wasn't exactly sure how to take that, so she just shrugged it off and cleaned the glass off of the floor. Shawn watched with interest. The entire situation was so domestic, it started to feel almost real. Even though he still couldn't sweep her off her feet and give her a good-morning kiss.

"Notice anything else?" He asked hopefully.

Juliet looked at him weirdly. "What do you mean?"

Shawn frowned slightly, not understanding how she couldn't smell the bacon he made for breakfast. Food was the only reason he would get up at that ungodly hour that was 9AM.

"Smell anything?"

"No, sorry, my nose is stuffed." Juliet responded simply, shrugging her shoulders. Still, Shawn wasn't the only one with a keen sense of sight. Soon enough, Juliet noticed the bacon in the pan. "Oh, you made breakfast!" She exclaimed, watching a grin form on his face. She was mighty hungry, and Shawn knew it.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't eat at the party. You were afraid of being poisoned or something…"

"With a reason!"

"…so I decided to get up earlier and make breakfast. Oh, and you'll never guess what I found out."

"What?" Juliet perked up with interest as she sat down. "You didn't find another 'gift', did you?" She frowned slightly, worry sweeping over her.

"Nothing of the sort." Shawn assured her gently, sitting down across from her. He smiled a bit when he saw her muscles relaxing. He made sure he had her attention before speaking up again. "You know Mrs. Fuller, right?"

"Yeah, the elderly woman with the furry purse, why ask?"

"She totally had a nose job. And Mr. Sighn, her ex-husband said he had to get one too before they married. Crazy isn't it? Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. Mylo is cheating on his wife, but that's just what Mrs. Lawson thinks." He rambled on and on.

"Shawn!" Juliet interrupted him sharply. "I thought you had something important."

Shawn stared at her, trying to look offended. "Nose jobs and cheating are very important, Jules."

"Right." She brushed him off as she began eating. It really tasted good. "This is great!" Juliet mumbled trough a mouthful of bacon and eggs, making Shawn grin again. "Where did you learn how to cook?"

"Well, you know, my mother wasn't around much…" He said clumsily, looking away. Juliet realized how awkward she must have made him feel. Oh, and she had _nooooooo_ idea what went on inside his head…

"Sorry." She said sincerely, touching his hand in comfort.

Shawn responded by nodding slightly. Her touch simply burned his skin. Abigail… Abigail seemed like a distant memory now, and there was Juliet, real, tangible and comforting… But no, it would be a mistake. Besides, he was sure she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, either.

"I did find something interesting out, however." He said.

"More interesting than nose jobs?" Juliet asked cheerily, attempting to make him smile, and succeeding.

"The couple from across the street, the one we're supposed to be watching, is not coming back until tomorrow morning."

"Meaning?"

"We have a whole day to ourselves." He grinned, squeezing her hand back lightly.


	8. Chapter 8

**I know I'm really, really, really _ridiculously _late updating this, but I was just busy. So busy I didn't even get to take my daytime naps. And that just made me grumpy. So I'm just giving you this one before I go and take a long, deserved one.**

As soon as Juliet got properly dressed, she was met by Shawn who was doing rather the opposite by taking his shirt off. Covering her eyes, she turned away. "Shawn, what in the world do you think you're doing?" 

"Ah, sorry, Jules, I was just getting ready to take a proper swim in the swimming pool." Shawn answered casually, not even bothering to stop undressing.

Grumbling something, Juliet turned back around, just taking a small peek before covering her eyes again. "You figured you couldn't walk in on me naked so you made me walk into you undressing. Witty, I'll give you that. But unlike in those adult movies, the girls don't just take their clothes off when they see a man doing the same."

Shawn groaned slightly. "Awh, you caught me in the act. Those movies are seriously misleading." Once he was properly dressed for swimming, he turned around. "But, you _did_ peek, so it means not all of what they tell is a lie."

Juliet's hands immediately went to her mouth, her face getting really pink. "I was not… I was no… You just took that out of context. I was simply checking to see if you were done."

"You could have just asked." Shawn responded, grinning widely at her.

Juliet mumbled something to herself, biting her lip in frustration. Her own darn brain was working against her on this one. She didn't even know why she felt the need to take a peek. It's not like she saw anything, not really, but what was she thinking? She crossed her arms and let out a frustrated sigh. "Just go."

Shawn tilted his head at her slightly. "Aren't you coming?"

"Who, me? Nuh-uh, you are not going to get to see me in a bikini. Keep on dreaming." With a small smile, Juliet climbed back upstairs, and headed straight for the bedroom.

Shawn's grin faded as she left and he went right to the pool, hopping into the sun-warmed water. It helped him get his mind off of her, and her the way her pretty little face flushed when he told her she was peeking. Truth be told, Shawn didn't actually see her peek, it was meant to be a tease. A tease that apparently turned out to be true. And it was all that occupied his mind.

He heard light footsteps and knew it was Juliet padding back down again. Much to his surprise, she was actually wearing a bikini. A red bikini, that Juliet made sure covered much skin. "Well, well, well... Look who decided to join me."

Juliet shook her head fiercely at him, but didn't respond. Instead, she decided it was a great morning for simply sunbathing, and sat down by the pool with a book in her hands.

"What are you reading?" He asked as he swam by.

"Nothing you could possibly comprehend." Juliet answered flatly, deciding that this was how she was going to approach things now. No more playful flirting or peeking of any kind. She couldn't risk telling him anything she shouldn't, or doing anything that could complicate his relationship with his girlfriend. They were alone now, that's for sure, but they weren't just going to throw all the caution to the wind. At least Juliet wasn't.

"Com.. Huh?" Shawn asked, resting his arms on the pool edge.

"Ohhhh, can't comprehend what comprehension means?" Inspite of her decision, Juliet simply couldn't help but grin widely at him. "Voicespondence! Bathyorographical! Juglandaceous!"

Shawn stared at her, positively baffled. He swam away from the pool edge, pouting. "You know I'm not good with big words, Jules!"

To that, Juliet simply gave a melodic, whole-hearted laugh, which obviously encouraged Shawn to goof around even more. Of course, his intention was no longer to make her fall for him. Now he was just getting a friend to loosen up a bit. Or he liked to tell himself that.

"I had a science teacher who talked like you, you know?" He called out to her as he swam closer again. "Everything he said was just like someone pulled random confusing words out of a dictionary and threw them together."

Juliet closed her book, smiling down at him as she tucked a stranded lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh, so _that's_ why you didn't become a rocket scientist." She teased him lightly, with a grin spreading across her face.

"That was Gus' dream job. I couldn't just steal his thunder like that." Shawn's heart fluttered slightly as he noticed he made her smile again. And this was the way it should always be. Just the two of them. Talking. Like they're all alone in the world. And the big backyard gave them a great illusion of that.

"Gus could have been a rocket scientist." Juliet admitted. "He seems to know quite a lot of things. How _did_ he end up being a pharmaceutical salesman?"

"Long story. Short: You can't exactly be accepted into the right university for that unless you have a clean police record."

Juliet raised an eyebrow at him. "But Gus does have a clean record."

"Oh, look who's been checking on us!" Shawn grinned at her.

"I only checked that once, when you both first started working with the department. I only wanted to see if the psychic thing was legit." Juliet responded sharply.

"So it wasn't just so you could stare at my picture and sigh?" Shawn felt he was losing the effect he had on her as he realized she was back to hissing at him, and was trying to get her to smile again. Apparently, it worked, as he noticed a small smile forming on her face as she shook her head. "Well, do you believe me now?"

"It's been three years since then, Shawn. People change. I'm no longer skeptic. At all." Juliet answered, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her head on them.

"Yeah, people do change…" Shawn commented. Feelings don't, though, he thought.

Juliet blinked at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He answered cheerily, though Juliet could easily see the single gray tone in his voice.

Simply shrugging it off, Juliet went back to reading, finding that she couldn't exactly concentrate on the book. Her gaze kept going to him playing in the pool like a child, and a soft smile graced her lips every time he playfully waved at her, or even attempted to splash her.

"Hey, Jules?"

Juliet raised her head, gazing steadily at him. "Yeah?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"Don't you think other people might think that it's weird that a 'wealthy' young couple spends all of their time indoors?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you suggesting?"

"How about I take you out to dinner tonight, huh?" Shawn asked, hopping out of the pool and wrapping a long fuzzy towel around himself. "Just for the cover, you know."

"Yeah, sure, sounds great." Juliet shrugged, though her heart raced a bit faster. She played it off cool enough, even though Shawn noticed his proposal had a flattering effect on her.

"Great!" He grinned. "Pick you up at eight!" And with that, he ran off and into the house.

"We… We live in the same house, Shawn!" Juliet called after him, sighing and shaking her head slightly. He was hopeless. And she was hopelessly in love with him.


	9. Chapter 9

Night slowly started falling and street lights flickered every once in a while, producing a faint buzzing sound. Shawn sat in the big living room of the house, glancing at the vintage watch carefully placed by the fireplace. 8:15 PM, and Juliet still wasn't ready. He let out a somewhat frustrated sigh and leaned back into the couch. Women really did take forever to get ready.

At last, the faint sound of footsteps on the stairs signaled Juliet's arrival. She was in a hurry, very well aware of the fact she was late. "Sorry, sorry, sorry…" She began apologizing right away, as soon as she hit the bottom of the stairs. Her usually straight hair was slightly curled, trembling slightly with every step she made. A long red dress was her choice of clothing for the evening, with a pair of matching red heels and a lipstick. She sure liked he color red. "I put the dress on but then it turned out you have to turn it inside-out first, and I'm fairly certain I burned my finger with the curling iron, but it was just so…"

But Shawn was no longer listening. He found himself staring at her with wide eyes, trying desperately to keep his jaw from dropping.

"Shawn?" Juliet asked carefully, snapping him out of it. "Are you upset with me?"

Shawn slowly got up to his feet, scratching the back of his neck with one hand and keeping his other one in his pocket. "Well, I did wait 15 minutes longer than I was promised I'd have to wait…" He could notice a slight frown forming on her face. Her lips parted as she was ready to make excuses. "….But it was absolutely worth it." He concluded, approaching her and taking her hand. "Shall we, Mrs Winters?"

Juliet melodic giggle-snort was muffled by her other hand as they exited the house. She was slightly leaning on Shawn, giving off the impression that they were an actual couple. Already some familiar faces curiously pressed to the windows of their houses to look at them. Juliet tugged on Shawn's sleeve. "Honey, did you lock the door?" It was a fake term of endearment, but a real question. Shawn usually had problems with remembering to lock doors.

"I most certainly have." Shawn answered, and Juliet was impressed by both the answer and the sophistication he managed to fake so well. Only, the latter was ruined by him kicking the next pebble on their path.

Juliet rolled her eyes slightly at him, tugging on his expensive suit once more to scold him. And it worked like a charm. Shawn immediately straightened up, and the rest of their romantic evening walk to the restaurant he acted as mature as possible. Upon entering, he even opened the door for her, and later even pulled out her chair. And even though everything else was fake, the smile on Juliet's face was real, and Shawn was happy to know he was the reason behind it.

"Waiter!" He called, and a man with an eternal fake smile etched upon his face approached them and handed them the menus.

Both Shawn and Juliet glanced at the menus, then exchanged some confused looks, that did not go unnoticed by the waiter. "Not regulars, are you?" He asked, smiling knowingly at them. "In that case, I would recommend pasta in duck sauce to both. It's this week's special."

"Sounds good." Juliet was the one to answer as she handed him both their menus and watched him stroll away, before turning to Shawn again. The look on her face was rather far from a content one. Confusion, endless confusion showed on it. Like a child trying to figure the Rubik's cube out. "What do you think that is?"

"Well, I guess it's some pasta… In duck sauce." Shawn answered, almost mockingly, making Juliet roll her eyes.

"If I turn out to be allergic to this or something, it's your fault."

"What? How is that my fault?" Shawn pouted.

"For not informing yourself on the type of food they serve here." Juliet responded, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Wha.. Oh, fine… Waiter!" Shawn called again, glancing back at Juliet and muttering something to himself.

"Yes, sir?" The older man responded. "Anything I can help you or your lady with?"

"Yeah, about this week's special… What does it consist of?" Shawn questioned, noticing Juliet perked up curiously as well.

"Pasta… In duck sauce, sir." The waiter answered, clearly baffled by the question.

"Thank you." Shawn said dismissively, beaming at Juliet as the man turned around.

Juliet crossed her arms, glaring at him and wishing she could wipe that goofy smile off of his face… Preferably with a kiss. Shuddering slightly, she looked away, trying not to think of it.

Their meal was arriving, and it didn't look half bad, either. The waiter carefully set it down on the table, wishing them a pleasant meal as he went away.

Juliet dug her fork into the pasta, just playing around with it a bit, before putting it in her mouth. She chewed on it, with some difficulty, a rather unimpressed look showing on her face. Shawn mirrored her, and his reaction was quite the same.

"God, what _is_ this?" Juliet muttered as she swallowed and immediately washed it down with a sip of water that the waiter brought while they waited.

"_Rich people food_, Jules." Shawn answered, spitting his back on the plate. Usually, Juliet would have been disgusted by the gesture, but when it came to this, she didn't blame him one bit.

"I don't know if the spirits told you, but I noticed a little coffee shop right across the street from this place." Juliet said suggestively, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Ah, yes, the spirits are telling me we'll eat better there. Come on, let's go there, we'll put this 'meal' on the department's tab." Shawn quickly got up from his seat and reached out his hand to her to help her get up.

With a nod of agreement, Juliet accepted his help and got up. "Let's go, they might have donuts."

Upon exiting, Shawn was still grinning at her, not letting go of her hand still. "You are supporting the myth cops love donuts, you know?"

"Well…" Juliet shrugged her shoulders slightly. "We do. We don't exactly have time for full meals, and donuts are heaven-sent."

"Right, so you're the type of girl who'd rather get a box of donuts than a box of chocolates on Valentine's day?"

"Sounds about right." Juliet admitted, pushing the little coffee shop door open. The little bell above them rang as they entered.

The two took the first free booth, instantly ordering some cake slices and, of course, donuts. Once they sat down, Shawn noticed a woman that looked quite familiar to him, just casually sitting in the corner of the shop, though he couldn't put his finger on who she was and where he saw her. He turned his attention back to Juliet, who was gazing outside.

"It feels so _good_ to be poor." Shawn said as they dug in and began eating, and soon enough the shop was filled with Juliet's echoing giggle.


	10. Chapter 10

Juliet got up late the following morning, mentally scolding herself for doing so. She stretched and got out of the bed, putting a pair of pink slippers on and brushing her hair away from her face. Shawn wasn't on the couch, and Juliet guessed he was cooking again, which was good. He wasn't bad at making breakfast at all.

As she went downstairs, her footsteps silently echoed, and the fact she could hear it disturbed her. Yes, it was a big house, but it was never this quiet. It was almost time for lunch, and Shawn would have this place turned upside-down by now. Frowning, she tightened her bathrobe.

"Shawn?" Juliet called, worry clearly showing in her voice.

"Here…" She heard his voice, and it sounded more dull than ever. It was the voice of a man who was interrupted while in deep thought. And Shawn never bothered going_ that_ deep into philosophy.

Locating him, she went over to the red chair he was sitting on, and took the seat next to his, at an appropriate distance. It was as she feared. He did look miserable. And that was not a good color on him.

"What's wrong?" Juliet asked softly, tilting her head to meet his eyes.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. I was just, erm, thinking…" Shawn answered sheepishly, flashing her a half-hearted grin before averting his eyes to avoid meeting her gaze.

"For the past two hours?" She asked skeptically, folding her arms in dislike of the face he wasn't being sincere with her.

"Well, it's tough. You can have fried eggs, boiled eggs, live eggs…"

"Shawn!" Juliet snapped impatiently at him. "Tell me what's really bothering you."

"Nothing! Honest!" He answered, sounding somewhat desperate. He didn't like being questioned. Whatever it was, he wasn't so keen on talking about it.

"There is something you're not telling me. Now come on, fess up." Juliet pressed, glaring at him sternly.

"It's nothing…" Shawn murmured, feeling himself shrink under her cold gaze. It was like he was a child all over again.

"I'm skilled at interrogating. I can do this whole day." She said simply, leaning back in her seat.

"You do that.." He trailed off, looking away, though he could feel her gaze burning his cheek. He gave in about 2 minutes later, deciding he couldn't handle it anymore. "It's just… You know that coffee shop woman?"

"The one you said looked familiar?" Juliet asked with evident relief as he spoke to her again. "What about her?"

"Well, now I know where I've seen her before…" He trailed off.

"Where?" She asked, perking up in interest, a hint of fear in her eyes. Was it someone crucial to the case? Did someone suspect them?

"It's… It's Abigail's best friend…" Shawn muttered blankly as he looked at her again.

"Oh?" Juliet asked, feeling her excitement drop completely.

"Yeah, she saw us and told Abigail, and even though Abigail knows we're on a case, she still thinks…"

"That there's something going on between us?" She finished carefully.

"Well, is it?" Shawn asked suddenly, letting his gaze meet hers.

Juliet flinched slightly at the question, looking away. She let out a shivering breath, looking slightly flushed. When she looked back at Shawn again, a weak smile played on her face. "Of course not." She said, feeling as if she'd told a lie.

"Right. Right. That's what I told her." Shawn made a quick recovery, though his answer seemed just as fake as Juliet's.

"And she's still mad?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. She said '_You don't just take a random co-worker out to dinner, Shawn_'." He answered, letting his frustration show as he mocked Abigail's voice.

Juliet fought to suppress laughter as she heard him speak, but Shawn noticed that and just smiled encouragingly at her until she giggled. "Do it again!" She requested, and Shawn happily obeyed. And every time he said those words, they meant less and less to him. All he was concentrating on was Juliet's melodic laughter that echoed in the room.

"Well, as unusual as taking a 'random co-worker out to dinner' is, you can assure her I mean no harm." Juliet concluded with a smile.

"I will. As soon as she starts answering my calls." He answered, though Juliet noticed he wasn't as upset about it as he was before.

"Good." She purred. "Now go make us some eggs."

"Yes, ma'am!" He got up and saluted, grinning as he went off into the kitchen.


	11. Chapter 11

Later that day, Juliet sat in a luxurious red chair by the fireplace, going over a box of files she had asked for from the department. She still hadn't forgotten about the break-in, and was certainly not about to let it slide. So she familiarized herself with the case. Who these people were, how they worked, it was all contained inside of the file box.

And it was horrific. These people without proper identity were doing everything – from people trafficking to torture and murder. In all her years of detective work, she had never seen anything like it.

She mumbled harsh insults under her breath as she stared down at pictures of their victims. Drugged up blondes, whose lives were cut short right when they were still blooming. Smart girls, too. One had a medical degree, one was an engineer, and one was one of their own. Her blue uniform was ripped in several places, her blood-soaked badge still reflecting faint sunlight in the photo.

Juliet shut her eyes and turned her head away, pushing the files in the opposite direction. She felt sick to her stomach, and was sure that another glance at the photos would make her truly vomit. She sank in the armchair, taking deep, even breaths to stabilize herself.

Shawn, who was playing some sort of a newly released video game took the time to notice the look on her face. "Something wrong, Jules?" He asked, but didn't turn to face her. His fingers worked rigorously around the joystick as he kept playing.

"I'm fine." Juliet responded blankly and rubbed her eyes, feeling strangely sleepy. It must have been the fireplace affecting her.

"Say, you look like you need a glass of water." Shawn suggested again, before mumbling something victoriously under his breath as he apparently scored on the game.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Juliet answered, opening her eyes again. She looked at him somewhat expectantly, seen as she thought he was offering to get her some.

To that, he simply responded by flashing her a quick grin, and kept playing. Whatever it was that was bothering her, he didn't seem to take it very seriously. He thought it must have been a girl thing or something. Typical.

With a groan, Juliet pushed herself off of the armchair and headed down the wide corridor, opening the familiar yellow door that led to the kitchen.

Shawn was still sitting in the living room and playing. He was just about to beat the high score when all of the sudden, the power went off. "Seriously?" He huffed in frustration and threw the joystick away, getting up. Thankfully, there was still some light outside, and it beamed down the window, so he wasn't in utter darkness.

Concerned, he decided to look for Juliet. Somehow managing to feel his way out of the room, he entered the corridor, leaning heavily on a coffee table set by the wall.

"Hey, Jules!" He called. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the power went off! Are you still in here?" When no response came, he started going forward, trough the dark with not light to guide him. He was starting to get nervous; both by the fact he was all alone in a creepy corridor, and the fact Juliet was somewhere around the house, lost as well. He only hoped she didn't injure herself. "You seemed kinda sleepy when you left. Did you fall asleep?" He kept on asking questions, knowing no answer would come. He just liked to think he wasn't completely alone.

And then, out of nowhere, a bright, blinding light appeared before him, making him shut his eyes and turn his head away. He squinted, daring to look back. "Oh, good, Jules, you found the flashlight." He beamed. "Now if you could just turn it away from my face… Jules, you are awfully quiet. Are you—"

But Shawn never got to finish his question. A blow directly to the head stopped him from doing so. The last thing he saw clearly was the light slowly going down. His ears still rung and he could feel glass shards poking at his skin. Something warm was spreading from the back of his head down to his neck, tickling it. He closed his eyes weakly and let himself drift away…


	12. The End

Shawn was abruptly snapped out from whatever dream he was having by the sound of doors creaking, then slamming shut. He lay on his side, turned to a wall of a rusty old basement-like room with faded green walls and windows with bars, blocked out with cardboard.

"Daaaad, I can't go to school…" He whined, still not entirely aware of what was happening.

A kick in the stomach that came the very next moment refreshed his memory.

"Owww, hey, what gives?" Shawn lay on his back again, one hand held on the place someone hit him, the other one being used to rub his eyes. It took him long 10 seconds to clear his vision and remember what'd happened to him.

Before him stood a brunette with fancy curled hair, wearing black leather.

"Who are you, catwoman?" He muttered as he straightened up, his eyes darting about the room. A chilling realization Juliet wasn't anywhere near made him stop with the jokes.

"No." The woman answered simply, with a thick accent Shawn couldn't recognize in spite of watching so many movies. She pulled out something from behind her back, that was obviously attached to her belt. "But I do have a whip." She hissed, a satisfied smile on her red lips.

"Right, okay, no need to use that." Shawn gulped, subconsciously drawing closer to the cold wall in the corner.

"That depends on you." She said, making a quick move with her hand that made the whip snap in the air. Her fingers traced it contently. "Don't make me use it."

As hard as it was for him, Shawn tried focusing on her and not the whip. And he did it just in time to notice a ring outline on her finger.

"Where's your husband?" He asked suddenly. That was the place where a wedding ring once stood, he was sure of it. "Or, you know, your ex husband. Or whatever weird thing it is that you two had going in?"

Shawn had been able to conclude that there were at least two people working on the entire thing the day someone first broke into the house and left him a housewarming gift.

Now he knew he shouldn't act too cocky, but the frustration over Juliet being God knows where and him not being able to do a damn thing about it made him edgy.

The woman drew her lips back in an almost animal-like snarl, giving him a whip across the cheek. "None of your business." She said coldly.

Shawn flinched, biting his tongue to prevent himself from crying out as his hand slid to his cheek. It was fine for about 2 seconds, and then it really started to burn, the flesh getting red.

Obviously, the woman was there just to keep an eye on him, but she still wouldn't tolerate his remarks. Shawn knew she must have been ordered to keep him alive, otherwise he would have been dead a long time ago, but he still toned his teasing down a bit. Or at least covered it better.

He opened his mouth to ask about Juliet but changed his mind, knowing she either wouldn't respond or would sadistically describe death scenarios that occurred in that room. Yes, there truly have been others here. Blood spatter on the walls from the hits, and Shawn was pretty sure he was sitting in someone's urine every time he moved.

The woman noticed his hesitation. "Well? Any other questions?" She asked, her whip cracking in the air behind her threateningly.

"Why are you keeping me alive?" He blurted out, quickly covering himself up. "I mean, you've killed others who have figured out what it was you were doing, I can see that from the looks of this freaky room. So what do you need me for?"

"Oh, don't worry… You'll be joining those unfortunate souls soon enough. As soon as we're done with you, you'll be with your little girlfriend, reunited in Heaven." She said with a menacing chuckle as she watched his facial expression.

"Juliet?" Shawn echoed, pain stabbing at his heart. Not only was she probably dead already, but she also wasn't his girlfriend. Not even close. He'd never gotten to tell her how much he liked her. "What have you done to her?" He demanded, jumping up on his feet.

"Down, boy!" The woman ordered, and soon her whip made acquaintance with his knees, making them shake and finally fall under his weight. She circled him, a look of pure hatred in her eyes. But somehow he sensed it wasn't directed only at him. She kept casting glances at the windows, although they were blocked out. She was waiting. "Now." She began icily, turning her blue eyes to him again. "I'd assume Mr. Winters isn't your real name… And that Barbie that came with you isn't your wife."

It was something in the way she spoke that gave Shawn hope. She said '_isn't _your wife', not '_wasn't _your wife'. It might have been her mistake, seen as English was obviously not her mother tongue, but a small shred of Shawn hoped that meant Juliet was still very much alive.

"But, I'll leave the interrogation to my husband." She decided, leaning against the wall. That made Shawn shudder. He was a guy, and pretty much used to messes of places, but even he wouldn't come anywhere near those old faded walls unless he had to.

"So there _is _a husband." Shawn mused, a tinge of pride in his voice.

"Was." The woman answered bitterly. To Shawn's surprise, she was starting to open up.

"Oh?" He asked, faking interest.

The woman stared long and hard at him before finally giving in. Maybe she decided to tell him what was going on. After all, they were going to kill him later anyway.

"We've had… disagreements…" She said, moving away from the wall and starting to pace the room. "As soon as we're done with this whole human trafficking thing, we're going our separate ways."

Shawn sat with his knees pulled to his chest, rubbing them occasionally. He still felt that whip. "How'd you two come to meet, anyway?"

The woman gave him a hostile glare. Now Shawn knew he was venturing too deep into her personal life. But again, she spoke up. "I was once in the trade system… He'd managed to get all of other prisoners but me out before the police caught him. I… He was charming… And young… And I thought I'd be the one to change him… I got him out of it. False statements and all. The shrinks call it 'Stockholm syndrome'. I call it being in love."

Shawn listened to everything without a single word, his eyes following her around the room carefully. "And then what happened?"

"We drifted apart…" The woman was avoiding his gaze. Instead, she crossed her arms, gazing longingly at the blocked out window. "He changed me…"

When she looked down at Shawn again, she noticed he was smiling. Outraged, she took the whip out again, cracking it in the air above his head. "You think that is funny, do you?"

But she didn't get to whip him after all. The very next moment, she'd crashed down on the ground, blood oozing from her head in a thin stream.

"Sick bitch." It was Juliet who mumbled the words. She was standing right behind the woman's body, looking quite torn up, holding a piece of an old pipe in her hands.

"Jules!" Shawn choked back a joyful cry as he straightened himself up again, using the wall to lean on it. "Ewww…" He muttered after he got up, wiping his hands on his pants. God knows what sort of bacteria thrived on it. He looked at Juliet and was surprised to find she gave no response to him, or anything. She was just staring blankly at the body, squeezing the pipe even tighter, as if she was preparing to hit again.

Suddenly feeling that one tinge of compassion he'd felt for the woman on the floor fire up, he bolted over to her and got a firm grab on her shoulders. "Hey, Jules. It's fine, you can drop the pipe now."

The sound of metal hitting the floor filled up the room the next second.

"Much better." Shawn said, placing a kiss on her forehead. His heart raced with joy. She was alive!

"S-Shawn?" Juliet asked shakily, her terrified eyes staring up at him as if she only was beginning to notice him standing there now.

"Yes, I'm here." He whispered quietly, pulling her into a hug, his face buried in her messy hair that still smelled surprisingly like strawberries.

Without another word, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face in his chest, sobbing. Her entire body was trembling. Shawn could only guess what all that time spent in this crap basement, wide awake, possibly surrounded by more prisoners did to her.

"Hey, hey it's alright." Shawn cooed gently, caressing her hair as her sobs became less frequent.

He was just about to suggest they leave when he heard police sirens outside, and gave a shaky breath of relief. They had been found.

"Come on." He said, taking her hand and rushing out. Once he did, the bright sunlight almost blinded him.

Juliet was pressed close to him, her fingers still laced with his, not wanting to let go. Her grip on him tightened, and she winced slightly like a small scared child.

"O'Hara!" A familiar voice called out, and Juliet could see her partner rushing out of his vehicle to see her. He practically ripped her out of Shawn's grasp, giving her a hug. He let himself be emotional. After all, he thought he wouldn't see her again for sure. "God, O'Hara, when was the last time you had a shower?"

Juliet gave a small laugh as she hugged her partner back, but said nothing, still partially in shock.

"Spencer, O'Hara!" The chief has personally come down to see them. "Are you alright. Is there anyone else down there?"

"Basement, third door to the left, there are 6 women down there. One with a child." Juliet informed her shakily as the paramedics that also rolled in with the police covered her with a shock blanket and lead her over to their van to be examined.

A couple of her colleagues rushed inside to get the rest out.

Shawn followed her silently with his gaze, almost not noticing that Gus ran straight over him and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Dude, I thought you were dead!"

"Well thanks for being positive." Shawn joked dryly, greeting his best friend. "How'd you find us."

"I sent you a message saying I have tickets for the next James Bond movie and you didn't reply. I knew something was wrong, so I called in on the station, and they said they haven't heard from you guys in a while either. So we all went to check it out."

"James Bond saves lives." Was all Shawn could manage to mutter before being dragged to the paramedics' van for an examination as well.

"You got that right!" Gus called out before turning to Lassiter. He'd check on Shawn again later.

He noticed Juliet was already seated at the edge of the van, wrapped up in her bright orange shock blanket, staring at the ground. Her face had been cleaned up, a few cuts stitched quickly.

"Hey." Shawn greeted awkwardly as he sat down next to her.

"Hey." Juliet greeted blankly, turning to him. For the first time ever, the young detective looked positively exhausted.

"Thanks for saving my ass out there." He said, offering her the warmest smile he could manage. He took a hold of her hand and gave it a gentle, comforting squeeze.

"That's what fake wives do." She answered, managing a smile of her own.

"Shawn!" A frantic voice called out behind the yellow do-not-cross line the police had put up.

He turned his head around to spot Abigail.

Juliet tensed, her hand slipping out of Shawn's. "Go greet your girlfri—" She was quickly silenced by a long lingering kiss from Shawn.

"You ass!" Abigail shouted from over the line, stomping her foot and tuning away. She'd already been jealous of the fact Juliet was Shawn's pretend-wife before.

"W-What are you doing?" Juliet asked shakily, though her eyes took on a warm gleam.

"Giving her something to be jealous about." Shawn explained with a grin, and their lips met again.


End file.
